15th Century – Institute for the Study of Western Civilization

1387	Milan conquers Verona. Milan on the march. Look out Florence!
1390	Siena and Pisa join Milan alliance. Florence increasingly isolated.
1399	Siena and Perugia formally turns gov over to Visconti of Milan. Florence being surrounded.
1400	Milan close to conquering all of northern Italy. Flo independence at risk.
1401	Competition for Bronze doors of Baptistery, Florence. Brunelleschi vs Ghiberti. Subject of Sacrifice of Isaac. Ghiberti wins.
1402	(Jun) Milan defeats Florence-Bologna army. All north Italy open for Milan. (Sep) Gian Galleazzo Visconti ruler of Milan dies. Florence independence saved.
1404	Government of Florence orders guilds to get moving. Guilds rush to complete their statues for Orsanmichele.
1408	Donatello’s first major work: David (marble) now in Bargello. Birth of Alessandra Macinghi degli Strozzi (d. 1471)
1409	Brunelleschi and Donatello go to Rome, Study the Roman ruins. They make extensive drawings of Pantheon, bring home to use in Duomo.
1413	Donatello’s St Mark for Orsanmichele (Flo), one of most influential works of sculpture in whole of Ren.
1413	Nanni di Banco, sculptor: Four Martyrs for Orsanmichele (Flo).
1416	Ghiberti: St John the Baptist for Orsanmichele (Flo).
1417	Donatello: St George for Orsanmichele (Flo).
1422	Alessandra Macinghi marries Matteo degli Strozzi. Matteo a member of one of the most important and powerful families in Florence.
1420	Brunelleschi appointed: architect for dome of Cathedral of Flo.
1425	Brunelleschi: first painting in West using math “perspective.” Masaccio: Brancacci Chapel, Santa Carmine, Florence.
1427	Masaccio: “Trinity” painted in Santa Maria Novella (Flo).
1429	Ghiberti: Second set of doors for Baptistry (“Gates of Paradise”)
1430	Medici growing domination. After 1435 Medici triumphant in Florence until 1494.
1433	Enemies of Medici become temporarily dominant in the council of gov and send the head of Medici family, Cosimo de’ Medici, into exile (he goes to Venice) During this next year, 1433-1434, a furious fight breaks out within Florentine political circles, pro- and anti-Medici. In the fall of 1434, the Medici finally win.(Pope has been helping, Medici Bank very important for the papacy).
1434	Return of Cosimo de’ Medici to Florence in triumph. The Medici now have complete control of the gov instruments for the next thirty years. Those who were part of the anti-Medici circle now pay the price and are exiled. Among the exiles are the Strozzi including Matteo Strozzi who is exiled to Pesaro. Wife Alessandra and children join him. Fra Angelico: “Descent from the Cross” (San Marco).
1435	Death of Matteo Strozzi in exile in Pesaro. His widow Alessandra returns to the Strozzi home in Florence with her children. Leon Battista Alberti, On Painting.
1439	International council of church, East-West, Pope-Patriarch, held in Florence under Brunelleschi’s recently completed dome. Florence at center of world of religion and culture at this moment. Greeks bring 100s of precious texts with them and all Flo pressed into service copying during the Ecumenical Council.
1444	Build huge new Palazzo Medici (via Cavour) near San Lorenzo, right in the center of old Florence, demolish many other buildings to do it, biggest private palace to that time in Florence.
1447	Pope Nicholas V, Tuscan pal of the Medici elected to St Peter’s chair.
1449	Birth of Lorenzo de’ Medici who will take his family and his city to its highest point of cultural and political influence. The half century of his life is Florence’s Golden Age.
1450	Piero della Francesca: “Baptism of Christ” (National Gallery).
1451	Birth of Christopher Columbus (Genoa). (d. 1506)
1454	Birth of Amerigo Vespucci in Florence. (d. 1512)
1464	Death of Cosimo de’ Medici on Aug 1. Death of Cosimo throws the whole Medici apparatus into confusion. The political machine had been a very personal affair and now Cosimo’s son Piero is faced with a crisis for which he is not prepared. He suffers with terrible gout and is often bedridden. The anti-Medici circles organize to overthrow Medici. Death of Pope Pius II, a great friend of the Medici.
1466	March: Death of Francesco Sforza, another friend of the Medici, Sept: Plot against the Medici collapses. Piero de’ Medici prevails over his enemy Luca Pitti who had led the anti-Medici movement.
1469	December: Death of Piero de’ Medici. Suddenly the leadership of the Medici machine falls into the hands of Lorenzo de’ Medici, age 20. Lorenzo will dominate Florentine politics and culture for the next twenty-three years and will die at age forty-three in 1492 from the same desease that had killed his father: gout.
1471	Death of Alessandra degli Strozzi. (b. 1408)
1473	Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus in Poland. (d. 1543)
1475	Birth of Michelangelo. (d. 1564)
1478	(Apr 26) Pazzi Plot in Florence. Plot to assassinate Medici brothers and bring about revolution in Florence, kill Giuliano de’ Medici in Cathedral during High Mass as he kneels at altar, but Lorenzo survives. Begins intense enmity between Florence and Papacy which had been in on the plot.
1482	Botticelli: “La Primavera” “Birth of Venus” (now in Uffizi).
1483	Birth of Raphael in Urbino. (d. 1520)
1492	Death of Lorenzo de’ Medici (bad news for Florence). Columbus in Caribbean (cant call it “America”-not named yet, named later after Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine).
1494	King Charles VIII of France arrives Italy. Brings largest army into Italy since Roman times. (Nov)Florence: fall of Medici and ascendancy of Savonarola. (Nov)Death of Pico della Mirandola.
1498	(May) Execute Savonarola: Piazza della Signoria (marker still there).
1503	Death of Pope Alexander (Borgia). elect Julius II (patron of Michelangelo-Sistine).
1504	Michelangelo: completion of David, install Piazza della Signoria. Michelangelo goes to Rome (Sistine, Vatican). Raphael soon on way to Rome too (Stanze, Vatican). Leonardo working in Milan. The heroic days of Florentine Renaissance are over. Both Lippi and Botticelli dead by 1510.
1512	Completion of Sistine (Michelangelo) and Stanze (Raphael). Rome new art center of Italy, eclipse of Florence.
1513	Death of Pope Julius. Elect Medici (Giovanni de’ Medici, childhood friend of Michelangelo) Pope Leo X, power of Medici now moves to Rome.Florence becomes a puppet of Rome.